2003 ends with...

[Anonymous]

2003 ends with the following:

19 tropical depressions
14 tropical storms
6 hurricanes
3 major hurricanes

Floydbuster Summery, includes my own nickname I've given to each storm, but not the depressions:

Tropical Storm Ana "Early Bird"
April 21-24
50 mph
996 Mb
Was an exciting start to the Hurricane Season, and gave us an extra named storm than we should have had. The intensity suprised me since it began to show signs of an eye at one point in time. Bermuda got as high of surf as with any other sub-tropical or tropical system. Sadly, 2 deaths off the Florida coast were reported.

Tropical Depression 2
June 10-11
35 mph
1008 Mb
Had a chance to be Bill, but could not get it together. It was rather interesting though, how for the first time in many years it formed so far east.

Tropical Storm Bill "Wannabe"
June 29-July 1
60 mph
997 Mb
Landfall: Near Morgan City, LA
It really showed an eye like feature on satellite and radar imagery. It almost was a hurricane on satellite. It caused four deaths along the Gulf coast. It caused 30,000,000 dollars US damage.

Hurricane Claudette "Old rough and ready"
July 8-17
90 mph
979 Mb
Landfall: Matagorda Bay, TX
Man it really and I mean really came together at the coast. It began to do a Hurricane Bret stunt. I thought Beryl in 200 would be a Bret, and if Claudette had not sped up, it may have happened. Nevertheless, Claudette caused 3 deaths and about 180 million dollars damage to Texas.

Hurricane Danny "Who, what, where!"
July 16-20
75 mph
1005 Mb
A hurricane for hours, Danny did not amount to anything but adding one more named storm to the season. By the way, I think if it was a hurricane, isn't 1005 mb a little high?

Tropical Depression 6
July 19-21
35 mph
1008 Mb
I think that this had major, major potential. Better than Claudette had even. For a time it looked like the Florida Panhandle would be threatened by a hurricane. NHC took it to 80 mph at one point in time. Thankfully, Erika never came out of this one.

Tropical Depression 7
July 25-26
35 mph
1016 Mb
Why was this not TD-6 regenerated? In any case it caused rain and wind in the Southeast.

Tropical Storm Erika "Zoom zoom zoom"
Aug 14-17
70 mph
987 Mb
Landfall: Extreme Northeast Mexico
From the Azores through South Florida, into Mexico. Wow! It moved so fast, that it had no time to become a hurricane. Some rumors are spinning that it was a minimal hurricane at landfall, but I doubt it.
In any case, 2 deaths were reported.

Tropical Depression 9
Aug 21-22
35 mph
1008 Mb
It had the potential for a while to threaten Florida as a hurricane, but it never even hit land.

Hurricane Fabian "Right-front quadrant"
Aug 27- Sept 8
145 mph
939 Mb
Landfall: Bermuda- 120 mph
This thing scraped the islands, and NHC made a brutal call for no watches or warning for the islands. However, the category 3 major hurricane's 120 mph winds went directly over Bermuda creating a wind gust to 132 mph. Sadly, 8 people were killed and 300,000,000 US damage was created.

Tropical Storm Grace "Allison #2... No Way"
Aug 30-31
40 mph
1007 Mb
Landfall: Galveston, TX- 30 mph
Come on. I thought it looked like Allison over the Gulf, but at the coast nothing but modest rain.

Tropical Storm Henri "tortoise, then Hare"
Sept 3-8
50 mph
997 Mb
Landfall: Near Clearwater, FL- 30 mph
At first, it showed some potential, and threatened to pour more rain on waterlogged Florida. It got a kick as it's dry center zoomed across Florida, and soon turned extratropical.

Hurricane Isabel "The perfect hurricane"
Sept 6-19
160 mph
920 Mb
Landfall: Drum Inlet, NC- 100 mph
This was at one time the perfect hurricane. A category 5, large perfect eye, outstanding outflow. These images show the time it was perfect:

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/imag ... -g12ir.jpg

http://weather.unisys.com/archive/sat_i ... 091400.gif

Even though it was only a category 2 at landfall, it's eye covered a very large area. Death toll is at, I believe 41, and damage could potentally be close to 8,000,000,000 dollars. That would make Isabel the second costlist hurricane in US history.

Tropical Depression 14
Sept 8-10
35 mph
1009 Mb
Jeez... NHC first took this to 80 mph. They blew that forecast. Nevertheless they were right most of the season. Give them credit.
Who really cared about this when Isabel was out there?

Hurricane Juan "Dark Horse"
Sept 25-29
105 mph
970 Mb
Landfall: Halifax, NS- 100 mph
Bad one for Nova scotia, the worst since records have been kept. From the way the NHC put it in their, I think they will request Juan be retired.

Hurricane Kate "Dizzy"
Sept 25-Oct 7
125 mph
952 Mb
This track is crazy. If you look at it long enough, you will probably get dizzy. There was one big kick in intensity. Just when it reached it's 120 mph peak, it booted to 125 mph. For a time I thought it might become a category 4. It gave Bermuda a scrape, but it looked so graceful spinning as a very dangerous, but non-threatening storm.

http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/pub/goes/031003.kate.jpg

Tropical Storm Larry "Lazy"
Oct 1-6
70 mph
993 Mb
Landfall: Near Veracruz, MX- 40 mph
This storm was the only storm I remember to have been forecast to not move for 5 days. Almost a hurricane, Larry caused 5 deaths and some modest damage along the Mexican coast.

Tropical Storm Mindy "Bahama Mama"
Oct 10-14
45 mph
1002 Mb
Brushed and hung out near the Bahamas before swimming with the fishes.

Tropical Storm Nicholas "I think I can"
Oct 13-23
70 mph
990 Mb
He fought off shear very well, almost became a hurricane and then died. But, some part of the blood from Nick ended up in Mississippi days later.

In all, 2003 was no cake walk, it was a rough ride. claudette hit Texas in July as a strong hurricane, Fabian hits Bermuda directly as a major hurricane, Isabel is the perfect hurricane, Juan category 2 hits Nova scotia, jeez. 2003. Now to 2004.........

[ColdFront77]

Hurricane Fabian "Right-front quadrant"
Aug 27- Sept 8
145 mph
939 Mb
Landfall: Bermuda- 120 mph
This thing scraped the islands, and NHC made a brutal call for no watches or warning for the islands.
However, the category 3 major hurricane's 120 mph winds went directly over Bermuda creating a wind
gust to 132 mph. Sadly, 8 people were killed and 300,000,000 US damage was created.

The Bermuda Weather Service issues Tropical Storm and Hurricane Watches and Warnings, not the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Depression 14
Sept 8-10
35 mph
1009 Mb
Jeez... NHC first took this to 80 mph. They blew that forecast. Nevertheless they were right most of the season. Give them credit.
Who really cared about this when Isabel was out there?

Isabel or not, Tropical Depression 14 was classified a tropical depression, so there was reason for the National Hurricane Center to monitor and issue advisories on it.

[HurricaneGirl]

That is a Great Report Floydbuster!!

[ColdFront77]

I agree, Mary; he did a great job.

[Rainband]

Excellent report!!!!!!

[Stephanie]

Great summary of 2003. What a year!

[AussieMark]

This season was excitng to watch...people proberly won't appreciate those comments.

But in my the last year that even came close to this year in excitement would be 1999.

I am not saying i like landfalls i just like majors forming and watching the full scale of their beauty.

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute! I never try to be alarmist or mean or crude. I track storms, and give my replys. If I put something to offend someone in there I am sorry. I am upset that we are in the year 2003, have recon, and NHC, warnings, FEMA, evacuations, and could still have death tolls like we saw this year. Stay safe!!!

[Hurricanehink]

Wow, great summary of the season. I just have one question. For Tropical Storm Larry, you say it got up to 70 M.P.H. During the life of the storm and in the October summary, they never said it got that high. Is that a typo, or did it really get that high? Thanks.

[JCT777]

Awesome write-up, Floydbuster!

[mitchell]

Little known fact - the remnants of Henri made landfall in the mid atlantic and caused disaster declarations in both PA and DE. 12 inches of rain in parts of DE PA.

[*StOrmsPr*]

2003 ends with the following:

19 tropical depressions
14 tropical storms
6 hurricanes
3 major hurricanes

Floydbuster Summery, includes my own nickname I've given to each storm, but not the depressions:

Tropical Storm Ana "Early Bird"
April 21-24
50 mph
996 Mb
Was an exciting start to the Hurricane Season, and gave us an extra named storm than we should have had. The intensity suprised me since it began to show signs of an eye at one point in time. Bermuda got as high of surf as with any other sub-tropical or tropical system. Sadly, 2 deaths off the Florida coast were reported.

Tropical Depression 2
June 10-11
35 mph
1008 Mb
Had a chance to be Bill, but could not get it together. It was rather interesting though, how for the first time in many years it formed so far east.

Tropical Storm Bill "Wannabe"
June 29-July 1
60 mph
997 Mb
Landfall: Near Morgan City, LA
It really showed an eye like feature on satellite and radar imagery. It almost was a hurricane on satellite. It caused four deaths along the Gulf coast. It caused 30,000,000 dollars US damage.

Hurricane Claudette "Old rough and ready"
July 8-17
90 mph
979 Mb
Landfall: Matagorda Bay, TX
Man it really and I mean really came together at the coast. It began to do a Hurricane Bret stunt. I thought Beryl in 200 would be a Bret, and if Claudette had not sped up, it may have happened. Nevertheless, Claudette caused 3 deaths and about 180 million dollars damage to Texas.

Hurricane Danny "Who, what, where!"
July 16-20
75 mph
1005 Mb
A hurricane for hours, Danny did not amount to anything but adding one more named storm to the season. By the way, I think if it was a hurricane, isn't 1005 mb a little high?

Tropical Depression 6
July 19-21
35 mph
1008 Mb
I think that this had major, major potential. Better than Claudette had even. For a time it looked like the Florida Panhandle would be threatened by a hurricane. NHC took it to 80 mph at one point in time. Thankfully, Erika never came out of this one.

Tropical Depression 7
July 25-26
35 mph
1016 Mb
Why was this not TD-6 regenerated? In any case it caused rain and wind in the Southeast.

Tropical Storm Erika "Zoom zoom zoom"
Aug 14-17
70 mph
987 Mb
Landfall: Extreme Northeast Mexico
From the Azores through South Florida, into Mexico. Wow! It moved so fast, that it had no time to become a hurricane. Some rumors are spinning that it was a minimal hurricane at landfall, but I doubt it.
In any case, 2 deaths were reported.
Tropical Depression 9
Aug 21-22
35 mph
1008 Mb
It had the potential for a while to threaten Florida as a hurricane, but it never even hit land.

Hurricane Fabian "Right-front quadrant"
Aug 27- Sept 8
145 mph
939 Mb
Landfall: Bermuda- 120 mph
This thing scraped the islands, and NHC made a brutal call for no watches or warning for the islands. However, the category 3 major hurricane's 120 mph winds went directly over Bermuda creating a wind gust to 132 mph. Sadly, 8 people were killed and 300,000,000 US damage was created.

Tropical Storm Grace "Allison #2... No Way"
Aug 30-31
40 mph
1007 Mb
Landfall: Galveston, TX- 30 mph
Come on. I thought it looked like Allison over the Gulf, but at the coast nothing but modest rain.

Tropical Storm Henri "tortoise, then Hare"
Sept 3-8
50 mph
997 Mb
Landfall: Near Clearwater, FL- 30 mph
At first, it showed some potential, and threatened to pour more rain on waterlogged Florida. It got a kick as it's dry center zoomed across Florida, and soon turned extratropical.

Hurricane Isabel "The perfect hurricane"
Sept 6-19
160 mph
920 Mb
Landfall: Drum Inlet, NC- 100 mph
This was at one time the perfect hurricane. A category 5, large perfect eye, outstanding outflow. These images show the time it was perfect:

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/imag ... -g12ir.jpg

http://weather.unisys.com/archive/sat_i ... 091400.gif

Even though it was only a category 2 at landfall, it's eye covered a very large area. Death toll is at, I believe 41, and damage could potentally be close to 8,000,000,000 dollars. That would make Isabel the second costlist hurricane in US history.

Tropical Depression 14
Sept 8-10
35 mph
1009 Mb
Jeez... NHC first took this to 80 mph. They blew that forecast. Nevertheless they were right most of the season. Give them credit.
Who really cared about this when Isabel was out there?

Hurricane Juan "Dark Horse"
Sept 25-29
105 mph
970 Mb
Landfall: Halifax, NS- 100 mph
Bad one for Nova scotia, the worst since records have been kept. From the way the NHC put it in their, I think they will request Juan be retired.

Hurricane Kate "Dizzy"
Sept 25-Oct 7
125 mph
952 Mb
This track is crazy. If you look at it long enough, you will probably get dizzy. There was one big kick in intensity. Just when it reached it's 120 mph peak, it booted to 125 mph. For a time I thought it might become a category 4. It gave Bermuda a scrape, but it looked so graceful spinning as a very dangerous, but non-threatening storm.

http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/pub/goes/031003.kate.jpg

Tropical Storm Larry "Lazy"
Oct 1-6
70 mph
993 Mb
Landfall: Near Veracruz, MX- 40 mph
This storm was the only storm I remember to have been forecast to not move for 5 days. Almost a hurricane, Larry caused 5 deaths and some modest damage along the Mexican coast.

Tropical Storm Mindy "Bahama Mama"
Oct 10-14
45 mph
1002 Mb
Brushed and hung out near the Bahamas before swimming with the fishes.

Tropical Storm Nicholas "I think I can"
Oct 13-23
70 mph
990 Mb
He fought off shear very well, almost became a hurricane and then died. But, some part of the blood from Nick ended up in Mississippi days later.

In all, 2003 was no cake walk, it was a rough ride. claudette hit Texas in July as a strong hurricane, Fabian hits Bermuda directly as a major hurricane, Isabel is the perfect hurricane, Juan category 2 hits Nova scotia, jeez. 2003. Now to 2004.........

Well Erika was a Hurricane after all.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2003erika.shtml?

[Anonymous]

Well, I'll be damned!

[MWatkins]

Great point about TD-7...who the heck knows why it didn't stay as TD-6. Perhaps a secret agreement to make the NOAA seasonal forecast numbers?

These things get easily forgotten...kind of like the phantom TD-4 from 2000...which amounted to little more than a low-level swirl off the coast of Florida.

Keep up the good work.

MW

[ColdFront77]

Tropical Depression #4 from Wedneday, August 9 to Friday, August 11, 2000